Odisha: Pharmacist suspended for treating patients under trees

In a recent incident of treating patients under the tree, officials today directed the concerned authorities to place a pharmacist under suspension. Director of health services, Dr Kailash Chandra Dash, directed the Kendrapara CDMO to suspend the pharmacist working at Babar Primary Health Centre in Gogua Panchayat under Mahakalpada block in the district.

Dash has also sought an explanation from the concerned staff of the PHC

This comes at a time when poor healthcare services are taking a taking toll on patient’s lives in the state-run hospitals of Odisha. The patients have been undergoing treatment under the tree since two months, the locals alleged. The situation is as such that there was no bed, fan or toilet available for the patients, they were found lying on the ground while the saline bottles hung on the tree branches. Only one doctor was found attending all the patients.

As per reports, 6 patients were given saline under the tree in the primary health centre. Out of them four patients identified as Kamala Barik (40) of Lanjuda village, Kanchan Rout (21) of Itakhandia village, Rushia Barik (45) Ramachandrapur village and Sasmita Samal (19) of Sanarahama were suffering from dysentery. Another two patients — Kanchan Panda (80) and Sebati Samal (15) — were administered the saline for typhoid and sickness respectively.

However, this is not the first instance of healthcare negligence in the state.The recent condition of healthcare service available in the Kendrapara district can very well give an example of the government provided medical services, especially in Kendrapara.

Notably, more than 30,000 people of eight gram panchayats depend on the hospital, which was established in 1990. And over 50 patient come to the hospital on an average, every day. The centre lacks doctors, medical staff and also infrastructure, failing to provide the necessary medical attention to patients.

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